Heavy metal icons Iron Maiden have announced their new studio album The Book of Souls. The disc is due out on September 4 via Parlophone Records (Europe)/BMG (U.S.). The band recorded the album in Paris with long-time producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Journey, Rush). The cover art was created by Mark Wilkinson, and because of it’s 92-minute running time, it will be Maiden’s first-ever double studio album.
“We approached this album in a different way to how we’ve recorded previously,” said bassist Steve Harris. “A lot of the songs were actually written while we were there in the studio and we rehearsed and recorded them straight away while they were still fresh, and I think that immediacy really shows in the songs, they have almost a live feel to them, I think. I’m very proud of The Book Of Souls, we all are, and we can’t wait for our fans to hear it, and especially to take it out on the road next year!”
“We’re really excited about The Book Of Souls and had a fantastic time creating it,” frontman Bruce Dickinson states. We started working on the album in late summer 2014 and recorded it at Guillame Tell Studios in Paris, where we’d done the Brave New World album back in 2000 so the studio holds special memories for all of us. We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there! So we immediately felt at home and the ideas just started flowing. By the time we’d finished we all agreed that each track was such an integral part of the whole body of work that if it needed to be a double album, then double its going to be!”
The new record will be Iron Maiden’s 16th studio effort since their debut album dropped back in 1980. The band’s last album, 2010’s The Final Frontier, hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 in 28 countries around the globe. Throughout their career, Iron Maiden have sold over 90 million albums worldwide. Among their numerous awards is their Grammy win for Best Metal Performance for “El Dorado” in 2011. – by Matt Bishop
Disc 1
1. If Eternity Should Fail (Dickinson) 8:28
2. Speed Of Light (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:01
3. The Great Unknown (Smith/ Harris) 6:37
4. The Red And The Black (Harris) 13:33
5. When The River Runs Deep (Smith/ Harris) 5:52
6. The Book Of Souls (Gers/ Harris) 10:27
Disc 2
7. Death Or Glory (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:13
8. Shadows Of The Valley (Gers/ Harris) 7:32
9. Tears Of A Clown (Smith/ Harris) 4:59
10. The Man Of Sorrows (Murray/ Harris) 6:28
11. Empire Of The Clouds (Dickinson) 18:01
Formats:
– 2-CD deluxe hardbound book limited edition
– 2-CD standard edition
– Triple heavyweight black vinyl
– High res audio (24-bit Mastered for ITunes and non-Mastered for iTunes)
Standard res audio (16 bit/ 44.1 kHz)